Part Twenty-Five - Epilogue

At the hospital, Shuu was treated for a bruised bone on his hip, a hairline fracture in his leg, and a sprained wrist, along with many bumps, bruises, cuts, and all around ouches. Given how long he was lying in the dirt, the doctors had him on antibiotics. Kiyose did have a concussion along with his assorted cuts and bruises and severe blood loss. Yoshirin and Imiko were held overnight with their daughter Fujiko for observation, but were released the following day.

Shuu's family, who had been worried sick about Shuu all day, stayed with him through the night, asking him questions, checking on him, getting what he needed, and all around bugging him. He wouldn't have it any other way. The other passengers of the train were well taken care of. Doctors commented on how the injuries strangely looked more healed than they should, but nobody said a word. Nobody said a word either when Seiji, who had peeling facial burns, was perfectly fine without any scarring within two days. (Shuu suspected it took that long because of how utterly exhausted they all were. Damn, Suzunagi's armors were draining...)

Touma left a window open for a night and felt much better the following day. Shin insisted on the hospital releasing him, despite his IV of fluids. He even had to sign a waver form saying he wouldn't sue the hospital for leaving against advice. After spending an afternoon swimming around, he came back looking and feeling much better. Seiji and Touma, unfortunately couldn't stay long after they were released. They both had a long trek home and families worried about their sudden disappearances.

"Heading home already?" Shuu asked as they stopped in to say their goodbyes. "But we just got together again." He pouted.

Touma chuckled. "You have some way of calling a get-together, don't you?"

"Indeed," Seiji agreed. "But actually, this has spurned me on. In a few weeks, I'll take another weekend off from school and come back."

"Me too. That way," Touma added, "Your family can spoil us rotten at your restaurant for saving your heavy hide."

Shuu smiled brightly. "Maybe I should do this type of thing more often?"

"Hah."

"This a private party or can anyone join?"

"Hey Shin! Looking better!"

The water Trooper smiled. "Feeling better as well. My family wants to see me, but I have classes again, so they're picking up to come here this weekend for a visit. I've talked to my professors and I have an extension given the mitigating circumstances for my various assignments."

"Aren't you the lucky one," Touma mumbled. "My professors won't hear of it. Said there was no way I could be in Yokohama."

"Hey," Shuu said expansively, "it all turned out alright. Only one death..." the old man he had tried to cover during the initial quake... "And everyone is getting a clean bill of health. It wasn't a bad quake and Yokohama is doing fine."

There was a small moment of quiet, each still absorbing the various trials and tasks they had done and what they had discovered about each other, their armors, and gone through.

There was a soft knock on the door.

"Shuu-san?"

"Kiyose! Come on in! You're always welcome."

The high school student was no longer in his uniform, but in casual clothes. A bandaged covered his forehead and an eye, but only as a precaution. Given how hard the good conductor had struck him, the doctors were being careful. Kiyose always visited Shuu around this time to talk. Shuu had offered his support initially for the trauma that the earthquake had caused. He hardly expected for Kiyose to become like a loyal puppy, following him around and hanging on his every word. Shuu had shared some of their adventures from their various times saving the world, with the others' permission, and was becoming almost like a nii-san to the boy as well as psychiatrist and friendly shoulder.

"Ryo-san sends greetings and expresses great desire to leave this hospital."

Shuu grinned. Ryo, being Ryo, had overtaxed himself further than any of the others in trying to help him remove his undergear. Between somehow absorbing the fevers that both he and Kiyose had, maxing out his power to help dig the hole, getting lost in the magma in the center of the earth, AND using every last ounce of strength he had to call Shuu back to consciousness, Ryo had needed a stay at the hospital almost as long as Shuu did. Needless to say, Ryo was getting restless.

"Da Ge!" And there was Rinfi. "I know hospital food sucks, so I brought some proper dim-sum." Da Ge - Chinese for eldest brother.

"Whoa, it's getting full in here," Shuu mumbled. "Rinfi! I'd like you to meet Kiyose. He's going to be working for us soon."

"Kiyose?" she turned. "It's a pleasure meeting you. Da Ge has told us a lot of good things about you. It will be a pleasure to have you as part of our staff."

Kiyose blushed and bowed. "Thank you...Shuu-san has done so much for me already..."

"Nonsense," Rinfi replied, casting a teasing eye at her brother. "You'd think he and Ryo-nii-san were in competition to see who could be more generous." She raised her hands and looked at her brother out of the corner of her eye. "Of course, Ryo-nii-san always seems to win, Shuu can never catch up."

"Rinfi," Shin admonished, "It's not a competition."

"What? I can't poke fun at Da Ge?"

"Aw, it's okay," Shuu chuckled. "She knows that I have all the good dirt on her. She won't overstep her bounds unless she wants me to tell everyone about the Cake Incident."

Rinfi reddened. "You wouldn't!"

Shuu just laughed along with everyone else.

"We're doing a fine job of being on our way, aren't we," Touma said, still chuckling.

"It's good that you're still here," Rinfi replied, her face serious. "I sort of wish Ryo-nii-san was here as well."

"What's wrong, Rinfi?"

"I came today to tell you about the conductor."

Silence fell over the room.

"He and his followers were cleared of any wrong doing due to 'the traumatic stress incurred through the strenuous circumstances that occurred'."

Shuu scowled.

"On a lighter note, the subway commission has quietly removed him from his position and he's been job hunting since."

"For all the trouble he caused," Shuu muttered, "I never wanted him to loose his job. He was just doing the best he could under bad circumstances."

"He is one who has not learned his virtues," Seiji added. "Nothing we said or did could have changed that."

Touma sighed. "Kinda puts a sour mood over this whole story."

Shin turned to Rinfi. "He doesn't know about your restaurant does he? He won't come after Shuu because he lost his job, will he?"

"No, he's in counseling along with the others," Rinfi replied. "Father went to court and talked to the judge and people involved. I'm not sure how he managed it, but our information has been sealed from the conductor. After all, he never did get Da Ge's full name."

"That's good, at least."

"Nijirou-san got a promotion as a result," Rinfi added, a smile appearing on her face once more. "He and Kushinage-san seem to be doing well together as well," she winked and nodded.

"Those two?" Shuu asked. "I'd never have thought..."

"Because you were asleep for so long," Touma teased. "You and your snoring!"

"Hey!"

"It was rather loud," Shin agreed, a large smile on his face.

"You too? Shin! Seiji, back me up here!"

Seiji stoically looked to Shin and Touma, raised an eyebrow and said, "At least he wasn't as bad as Kiyose." That sent everyone into peels of laughter.

Touma glanced at his watch. "Ah, I hate to laugh and run, but I'm going to miss my train at this rate."

"We'll see you in about three weeks," Seiji added. "Try to stay out of trouble until then."

"I should be going as well," Shin agreed. "I may have a break, but I still have a lot of work to make up."

"Be safe," Shuu replied, waving his good wrist goodbye.

"We're not the ones to worry about," Touma called over his shoulder. "Try not to be stuck in any more earthquakes, alright?"

"Heh. Only if you don't get caught in any tsunami!" Shuu called back. He sighed happily to himself. He'd be out of the hospital by the end of the week and life would finally be back to normal. He'd have to schedule a trip up to Hokkaido to help recharge his armor, but things were finally starting to look up.

The End
Go to Author's Notes